United Airlines CEO issues email apology to frequent flyers and rewards members

Safe to say that everyone worldwide knows about the infamous incident that happened earlier this month when a passenger on a United Airlines flight was forcibly removed from an overbooked flight leaving Chicago.

What shocked most, however, was the what seemed to be an apathetic attitude on behalf of United's CEO and management team.

But now, it seems as though CEO Oscar Munoz is attempting to reverse the initial impressions the company made with displeased customers and patrons by issuing a formal email sent to United frequent flyers and MileagePlus members on April 28.

The email, ironically sent with the subject line "Actions Speak Louder than Words", begins with a few sentences ensuring United customers just truly how important they are to the company before diving head first into addressing the rather large elephant in the room:

"Earlier this month, we broke...trust when a passenger was forcibly removed from one of our planes. We can never say we are sorry enough for what occurred, but we also know meaningful actions will speak louder than words."

Following what some might call the understatement of the century, Munoz goes on to explain exactly what those concrete actions will be:

"...We will no longer ask law enforcement to remove customers from a flight and customers will not be required to give up their seat once on board – except in matters of safety or security."

Seems like a solid place to start.

The email then goes on:

"We will increase incentives for voluntary rebooking up to $10,000 and will be eliminating the red tape on permanently lost bags with a new 'no-questions-asked' $1,500 reimbursement policy."

Now we're talking.

Here's the email in full:

Though it's impossible to reverse the damage done due to the incident, taking a step in a positive direction is certainly the a solid start — one that probably should have come sooner.

Munoz continues:

"...I hope you will see that pledge express itself in our actions going forward, of which these initial, though important, changes are merely a first step."

We're interested to see what those next steps will entail.

The letter is signed "With Great Gratitude" (the capitalization really emphasizing the sentiment there) by Munoz himself, holding himself to the standards that were set in the above letter.

Here's to hoping the future for United is better than the recent past!

RELATED: All of United Airline's recent PR nightmares

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All of United Airlines' recent PR nightmares

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All of United Airlines' recent PR nightmares

1. United Airlines Flight 3411

Footage of Dr. David Dao being dragged off United Airlines Flight 3411 from Chicago, Illinois, to Louisville, Kentucky, went viral on April 10.

The incident, in which Dao lost teeth and broke his nose, sparked international uproar and turned into a public relations nightmare for the carrier.

Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell had boarded their flight when they noticed a passenger napping across the row they were supposed to be sitting in.

Instead of waking up the snoozing man, the pair decided to sit a few rows in front of their assigned seats.

Hohl said that after he and Maxwell sat down, a flight attendant asked if they were in their assigned seats. When the couple said no and explained why they had moved, Hohl said the attendant declined their request for an upgrade and asked them to return to their original seats.

Hohl said that although he and Maxwell did as they were told, a U.S. Marshall later boarded the flight and asked them to get off the plane.

6. United Airlines CEO's heart transplant comes under scrutiny

Following United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz's apology over Flight 3411, people began questioning whether his wealth played a role in the heart transplant he received last year.

Munoz had a heart attack on October 15, 2015, one month after he took over as United's new CEO.

Less than three months later, he received a new organ.

Since the waiting list for a new heart was reportedly up to 4,200 people at the time, questions have risen about how he was able to get a new heart without waiting very long.

7. Dad accused of trafficking his own daughter on United plane

The wife of a Mexican man who was accused of trafficking his own 3-year-old daughter on a United Airlines flight spoke out about the incident on April 17.

Maura Furfey, a Spanish teacher and mother of three, says that her husband and daughter were returning from a trip to Mexico to visit her husband's mother and great-grandmother, "who they see but once a year."

Apparently another passenger, who Furfey says was "obviously inebriated," expressed concern to an airline employee that the fair-skinned child didn't look like her Mexican father, raising suspicion that he had kidnapped her.

The mother of three says she burst into tears when she learned the details of what her family had gone through.

8. United Airlines stock plummets $800 million amid controversy

United Continental lost about $800 million in total value the day after the video of Dr. Dao being dragged off Flight 3411 became a major news story.

Shares in the company declined about 3.8 percent in mid-morning trading, a steep drop for a major company like United.

9. Woman claims United Airlines employee forced her to back of plane in tears without explanation

A New York woman filed a $150,000 lawsuit against United Airlines, claiming she was forced from her business class seat to the back of the plane by an employee without any explanation during a flight last year.

Karen Shiboleth, a 24-year-old Columbia graduate, was traveling to London to attend a master's degree program at Kings College on September 10, 2016.

Shiboleth claims that ten minutes prior to take off, a United employee boarded the craft and demanded she vacate her seat in United BusinessFirst and move to the back of the plane.

The lawsuit alleges that nobody would explain to Shiboleth why she was being moved, and that when she expressed her confusion, the employee took her arm "without consent" and forced her to a middle seat in the back of the plane.

To make matters worse, the unidentified worker reportedly called her a "c--t" during the interaction, bringing Shiboleth to tears.

10. Professional golfer claims his clubs were snapped on United Airlines flight

An Australian professional golfer took to Twitter on April 24, claiming his golf clubs were destroyed during a recent United Airlines flight.

Veteran golf pro Matthew Goggin said he opened his checked bag after his trip, only to discover that his precious clubs were snapped in two.

"First time in 20+ years I've opened my bag to find this..." he wrote. "I was going to complain but I must admit I'm a little intimidated by United."

Simon, a 35-inch behemoth, was traveling from London's Heathrow to Chicago's O'Hare to meet his new "celebrity owner" when he mysteriously died in the airline's care.

Annette Edwards, Simon's breeder, says that both she and Simon's buyer are extremely upset and confused by the incident.

"Simon had a vet's check-up three hours before the flight and was fit as a fiddle," Edwards said. "Something very strange has happened and I want to know what. I've sent rabbits all around the world and nothing like this has happened before."

Simon was the son of the world's current largest rabbit, Darius, who is a whopping 51 inches long.

The 10-month-old rabbit was reportedly on track to out grow his father and eventually steal his title.